{
  "id": 19080480,
  "title": "Pakistani farmers sue German firms for flood damage: ‘no borders in sky’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/pakistani-farmers-sue-german-firms-for-flood-damage-no-borders-in-sky",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-09T03:08:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3373733/pakistani-farmers-sue-german-firms-flood-damage-no-borders-sky"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a remote Pakistani village, Abdul Hafeez Khoso recalls the sprawling industrial zones he witnessed in Germany during a visit to initiate a groundbreaking climate legal battle. The 43-year-old farmer, representing 38 others from Sindh province, is suing German energy company RWE and cement manufacturer Heidelberg Materials over devastating floods that struck their region in 2022. Khoso argues that German companies' emissions contributed to the apocalyptic weather that destroyed their crops, livestock, and homes. Despite contributing only 0.68% and 0.12% respectively to global industrial emissions, the companies deny any wrongdoing. The lawsuit, supported by Pakistani and European organizations, aims to hold major polluters accountable for the increasing risks and intensity of extreme weather events caused by climate change. Climate litigation, primarily targeting governments, is a growing global trend, but only a few companies like Shell and Holcim have faced similar suits. German law now recognizes companies' responsibility for their greenhouse gas emissions, opening the door for such lawsuits. Lawyers see this Pakistani case as a significant breakthrough, arguing that large corporations knew about climate change's impacts since the 1960s and should have taken responsibility for reducing emissions.",
  "summary": "In a Pakistani village nestled in rice fields, Abdul Hafeez Khoso remembers the vast industrial zones he saw in Germany when he visited to file a pioneering climate legal case. “They’re spreading pollution: up in the sky there are no borders, it can affect anywhere,” the 43-year-old said, describing areas far larger than his village of 800 people. “This is a problem for the whole world – that is…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}